Typical known credit card accounts enable end users to purchase goods and services from merchants, where a point of sale transaction from a credit card purchase posts to a billing cycle provided by the credit card company or financial institution, upon which an end user is expected to make at a least minimal payment after the close of the billing cycle, where the end user has no input or control of how the posted point of sale transactions are managed.
In making a point of sale purchase with a merchant using a standard credit card account, an end user swipes a credit card at an actual merchant point of sale, enters a credit card number to a merchant online or over the phone, etc., where the transaction request for the point of sale transaction is electronically submitted to the credit card provider. If the credit card provider electronically authorizes the transaction, the point of sale purchase is successfully completed. Subsequently, the merchant electronically submits the point of sale transaction to the credit card provider for payment; the credit card provider electronically pays the merchant for the amount of the point of sale purchase minus the amount of the transaction/interchange fees; the credit comprising the amount paid to the merchant and the amount of the transaction/interchange fees deducted from the merchant's payment is electronically offset with a debit to the end user's credit balance; and the credit card provider electronically posts the transaction to the end user's billing cycle, where the posted transactions are to be paid by the end user, where such payment occurs generally after the end user's billing cycle closes. The different electronic steps above are well known in the payments art, and require use of computer-related components, such as computerized systems, computerized networks, computer processors, computer interfaces, computer-readable mediums, computer-related or electronic apparatus, wired or wireless networks or systems, etc., all of which are well known in their associated arts. Also, the above purchasing and payment processes are typically facilitated by proprietary networks, e.g., Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, Discover®, and by intermediary service providers, such as merchant acquirers, payment processors, etc.